Three area players set to go camping in the NFL

Easton's Brennan Williams will be in his second training camp with the Houston Texans, while Brockton's Nnamdi Obukwelu and Al Louis-Jean will get their first shots with Indianapolis and Chicago, respectively

At this time of year, they are no different than many people half their age.

Easton’s Brennan Williams and Brockton’s Nnamdi Obukwelu and Al Louis-Jean are packing their bags and heading off to summer camps.

The trio is not in pursuit of summertime fun in the sun, however; rather, the three are setting out for employment in the NFL.

Here’s a look at what awaits each of them:

Williams – Gary Kubiak, the since-deposed head coach of the Houston Texans, said it best when summarizing Williams’ first year in the league late last November.

“It’s basically been a redshirt year for him,” said Kubiak.

A third-round draft pick (89th overall) in 2013, Williams was expected to come in and immediately compete with veteran Derek Newton for the Texans’ right tackle job.

Instead, Williams, who played his high school ball at Catholic Memorial, suffered a knee injury that led to his placement on the injured reserve list and ultimately microfracture surgery.

The 6-foot-6, 314-pounder’s biggest opponent the past couple of years has been his health; his senior year at the University of North Carolina came to an early end when he tore the labrum in his shoulder in a game against Duke in October of 2012.

With Williams still rehabbing, rookie head coach Bill O’Brien concluded the Texans’ organized team activities last month by declaring “Derek Newton is our starting right tackle.”

Which puts Williams in a position where he must get on the field and carve out a niche for himself with a new staff.

The Texans head into training camp with seven offensive tackles on their roster, including Duane Brown, the starter on the left side who was a first-round draft pick in 2008.

Obukwelu – His name wasn’t called during this year’s draft, but it didn’t take the Indianapolis Colts long after the three-day event had concluded to call Obukwelu’s agent, John Hernandez of Agency Athlete, with an employment offer for his client.

One day after the draft, Obukwelu was already signed, sealed and delivered, in Indianapolis preparing to begin life as a rookie free agent with the Colts.

Obukwelu played at Boston College High School before going on to Harvard where he earned the George “Bulger” Lowe Award as the top collegiate defensive player in New England in 2013.

A tackle with the Crimson, listed at 6-foot-3 and 303 pounds by Indy (28 pounds heavier than Harvard listed him his senior year), Obukwelu is transitioning to end with the Colts, who operate out of a 3-4 defensive scheme.

One of six ends listed on the Colts’ roster, Obukwelu is in the mix with veterans Cory Redding and Arthur Jones, fifth-round draft pick Jonathan Newsome of Ball State, fellow rookie free agent Tyler Hoover of Michigan State, and rookie Gannon Conway, who was signed last month after being released by the Miami Dolphins.

Page 2 of 2 - The Colts already lost one veteran at the position when Fili Moala was placed on IR for the third straight year after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during OTAs.

Louis-Jean – His name wasn’t called during this year’s draft, either, and his wait was longer than Obukwelu’s, but Louis-Jean made the most of the opportunity that was presented to him when the Chicago Bears invited him to attend their rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis.

The 6-foot-1, 187-pound cornerback, a Brockton High School product, made a favorable enough impression at the Bears’ rookie mini-camp to earn a call back and a contract as a rookie free agent.

Just 20 years old, Louis-Jean declared early for the draft out of Boston College, where he

registered 36 tackles, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one interception in 23 games.

Louis-Jean is among a group of 10 cornerbacks on the Bears’ roster, a list headed by veteran starters Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings and veteran nickel back Kelvin Hayden and one that includes Kyle Fuller, the team’s first-round draft pick out of Virginia Tech this year.